The New Year organizing continues, and this week we're tackling knitting books, magazines, patterns, etc.

This is one area where I consider myself fairly well organized already--in no small part because when we moved last June, I purged a lot of unused books, patterns and magazines that I didn't feel like packing.

What I haven't done recently is update my Ravelry library--deleting the patterns I'd purged and adding new ones--so I decided to start there.

While not essential, I find it useful to keep close track of my pattern library on Ravelry, because when searching for patterns to knit, I can check off the "in my library" button, and it will show me patterns I already have that meet my requirements--for example, all the patterns in my library knit in DK weight yarn, or all the children's cardigan patterns I have.

I think we can all relate to that feeling of buying more and more patterns, yet using very few of them. Keeping an organized library can help minimize that!

It's also helpful to check your library occasionally for pattern updates--any pattern you download through Ravelry can be updated by the designer, who can notify all purchasers when any changes are made. Just click the update button, and you ensure you have the latest, most error-free version of the pattern at hand, quick and painless.

I started with 177 patterns in my Rav library.

I deleted a number of Interweave Knits issues I had purged, free patterns I had already used or was no longer interested in (hey, you can always download them again!), and added a couple of books and magazines I'd purchased, and wound up with 130 patterns, about 8 of which I also updated. Not a major hack job, but trimming the fat, at least.

In addition to tracking patterns in the Ravelry library, I have a number of patterns stored on my iPad, including single PDFs and ebooks, in the iBooks app.

I can access these patterns anytime, even without an Internet connection, so I keep a good selection of patterns here "just in case."

Always prepared for a knitting emergency!

I also have Interweave Knits downloaded in the Newsstand app. You can purchase and download an issue when you want to use it, and then archive it for later use, so it doesn't eat up your storage space. Very handy.

I didn't have much work to do on my physical pattern storage space:

This is my fairly modest collection of books, with some single printed patterns stored in a large binder (and a big vase full of yarn balls). The bookcase could probably use dusting, but otherwise, I think I'm in good shape.

And while I was at it, I decided to tackle my Ravelry queue. I deleted some patterns I was no longer interested in, and made sure each pattern had at least one tag for searching and organizing purposes; I also noted any yarn I already had on hand for specific projects. I'm down from 181 to 152!